2013 TV Pilot Guide – What Would You Watch?

Published 2 years ago
by
Anthony Ocasio
, Updated June 4th, 2014 at 10:10 am,

Now that television has become a more mature and popular medium, it’s time to take viewers deeper inside the television creation process. And what better way to kick things off than to take a look at television pilots each network has picked to potentially fill their 2013-2014 programming schedule?

76 television pitches have been selected to film their pilots - in hopes of being one of the few to make it to air - while less than 20 will actually receive a series order. Below you’ll find a veritable treasure trove of Hollywood talent, from J.J. Abrams and Roberto Orci to Will Ferrell and Charlize Theron, who are all vying for the highly coveted – and extremely limited – network timeslots.

Although the networks’ official selections won’t be announced until May, and viewers’ input or opinions mean absolutely nothing to the actual selection process, let’s see if it’s possible to pick out the potential winners before the networks make their picks.

As you check out the list of pilots below, make sure to note which network the show would be on (to judge tone and potential appeal); who is actually behind the show (whose vision is being followed for the story); and what the the intended plot is. Most importantly, make sure to vote for the shows you’d actually watch.

COMEDY

How the Hell Am I Normal?From: Adam F. Goldberg (creator, Breaking In)Plot: A dysfunctional Wonder Years set in the simpler times of the 1980s, inspired by Adam F. Goldberg’s childhood.

MixologyFrom: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore (writers, The Hangover)Plot: A high-concept single-camera comedy from the writers behind The Hangover set in the world of a sexy Manhattan bar chronicling the exploits of singles in search of love — all over the course of one night.

PullingFrom: Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky (writer, Bad Teacher)Plot: The story of three dysfunctional women in their 30s living their lives the way they want, even if society tells them they should have it all figured out by this point.

SpyFrom: Simeon Goulden (creator, Spy (UK))Plot: Based on the British series of the same name, a well-intentioned father of a highly-intelligent and verbal son, who also happens to be his complete opposite, inadvertently takes a job at the secret service in order to prove himself a worthy father.Cast: Rob Corddry

Trophy WifeFrom: Emily Halpern (writer, Private Practice) and Sarah HaskinsPlot: A reformed party girl finds herself with an instant family when she falls in love with a man who has three manipulative children and two judgmental ex-wives.Cast: Bradley Whitford, Malin Akerman, Marcia Gay Harden, Michaela Watkins, Natalie Morales, Ryan Lee

The Untitled Cullens ProjectTeam: Mark Cullen and Robb Cullen (writers, Las Vegas)Plot: When Terry Gannon, a recently divorced, single mother, temporarily moves in with her estranged father (James Caan), a beer swilling former baseball player, she reluctantly starts coaching her son’s underdog little league team and is drawn back into the world of sports she vowed to leave behind.Cast: James Caan

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DRAMA

BetrayalFrom: David Zabel (producer, ER)Plot: A beautiful but unhappily married female photographer begins a torrid affair with a lawyer for a powerful family. When he turns out to be defending a murder suspect who is being prosecuted by her husband, the relationship and the case begin a spiraling series of betrayals with cataclysmic results for everyone involved.

DoubtFrom: David Shore (creator, House)Plot: A former cop who’s now a cunning but charming low-rent lawyer uses his street smarts to work the system for his clients while battling his own demons and wooing his ex-wife.

InfluenceFrom: Kyle Killen (creator, Awake)Plot: Provocative workplace ensemble centered on the complicated relationship between two brothers who head a unique agency designed to attack their clients’ problems using the real science of human motivation and manipulation.

After Lone Star and Awake, will Kyle Killen find a new home at ABC?

Killer Women
From: Hannah Shakespeare (writer, The Raven)Plot: It’s hard to fit in when you’re the only woman in the notoriously male Texas Rangers, but that doesn’t stop Molly Parker — our ballsy, beautiful badass who knows how to get to the truth and isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers on her way there. Based on the Argentine series Mujeres Asesinas.

The Returned
From: Aaron Zelman (writer/producer, The Killing)Plot: What happens when the people you have mourned and buried suddenly appear on your doorstep as if not a day’s gone by? The lives of the people of Arcadia are forever changed when their deceased loved ones return.

S.H.I.E.L.D.From: Joss Whedon (writer/director, The Avengers)Plot: Based on Marvel Comics’ secret intelligence organization that has appeared in countless titles including Iron Man, Captain America and The Ultimates since being introduced in the 1960s. The military law-enforcement agency’s moniker stands for Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistic Directorate, which also has evolved over time in the comics.Cast: Ming-Na, Clark Gregg, Brett Dalton, Elizabeth Henstridge, Ian De Caestecker, Chloe Bennet

VeniceFrom: Byron Balasco (writer/producer, Without a Trace) and McGPlot: A soap about the haves and the have-not’s of California’s most seductive city, Venice. The drama will focus on two rival families and a forbidden and dangerous romance emerging between them as the two families battle for control of Venice.

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Aknot 2 years ago

None of them except for maybe S.H.I.E.L.D.

I watched Justified, TWD and Big Bang. Thats it. Nothing on that list appears to be interesting to me.

Check out Breaking Bad. That’s the only thing on here interesting to me too, and I watch way more, I ditched Big Bang this year, not funny anymore in my opinion. Check out How I met your mother too, also maybe a little Family Guy here and there, get a glimpse of comedy that stays in shows.

I also agree. For the past few years my DVD/Blue ray purchases have dropped. I won’t buy a series without an ending or at least make it past the Fifth season curse that seems to be the kill point for FOX and the SIFFY Channel.

I have to agree I loved the first season I got hooked. Then season 2 came out I still liked it and then season 3 came out and you can start to see the slow fall it was having it was still cool and had some cool episodes but just not like previous season. Hopefully season four will be better but from all the problems im hearing about i don’t know. But i will tell you what season for i am looking forward to though….SEASON FOUR OF “ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT” WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Lots of “Meh” premises, some of which are downright rip-offs (The Returned sounds like The 4400 and The Selection brings The Hunger Games to mind, for example). The Tomorrow People has potential but sounds too familiar as well.

I gotta say that only SHIELD really grabs my attention, and I’m even on the fence on that one, because of the whole question of superheroes making guest appearances on the show or not.

Most of these shows sound awful. The only ones i’ll check out are SHIELD, beverly hills cop & believe. What’s with all these medical shows, detective shows & lawyers shows though. Cable is the place where you can watch sex addicts, meth dealers, zombies, serial killers who kill serial killers & biker gangs i guess.

The only one that sounds interesting to me is SHIELD but that’s about it. I was hoping for someone to bring another version of AHS but one that would push the boundries but alas that has not happened. I am excited though to check out Bates Hotel(I think that’s what it’s called). Other than AHS there hasn’t really been that “horror” themed series and TWD is not horror. It’s a drama series. They all seem to be cop(detective), lame comedies, or medical based series. I want to see what the line up for potential new series for FX, HBO, Starz, AMC, TNT, TBS, and Showtime will be. I tend to like the series on those channels more than the ABC, CBS, Fox, and so on.

I think they should make a show where they have more than just Avengers, I’m talking Superman, Iron Man, Batman, and yes, I know some are signed on to different companies (like Wolverine is to Fox) but if they get a GREAT plot, im sure the companies would immediately say “Hell yes!”

The tomorrow people, The hundred, and SHIELD are the best on here… Hope Sheild is better than the movie though, didn’t bother to read the description so I doubt Jackson OR ANYONE is gonna be in it at all… Sleepy hollow and the untitled bad reboot sound okay…

I was hoping for lots and lots shows about cops and lawyers, along with edgeless sitcoms about ‘dysfunctional’ families and people making their way in the world.

As you can imagine, I’m left terribly disappointed.

A more interesting poll would be one asking which will get cancelled before the end of S01.

There’s a good half dozen sci-fi/fantasy shows there especially that I look at and think ‘you don’t have the patience to let this build an audience, why even bother green-lighting it in the first place’.

Well here’s hoping that some of these are better than they sound.

The cops with robot buddies thing sounds like it may be a so-bad-it’s-good possibility.

A number of these shows I will watch the pilot should they get green-lit for the fall or mid-season. The only one I can for sure say I will continue with is SHIELD. Huge comic fan, even bigger Whedon fan.

The list for NBC is missing a newly picked up pilot for the take on Alice in Wonderland… aptly titled Wonderland. One I’ll give a shot as well should it go to series. However, reading thru comments on another site, someone recommended the plot follow the series The Looking Glass Wars. I WISH it’d follow that plot, it’s amazing.